This invention relates to a carton construction, and more particularly, a carton construction which can be used to dispense candy and/or pills through an opening provided in the top wall closure of the carton.
Carton constructions have been proposed heretofore for dispensing small articles such as candy and pills one at a time through and opening formed in the carton. Usually, a lateral slide closure is employed to reseal the dispensing opening in order to prevent inadvertent spillage of the carton contents, which results in a complex blank used to manufacture the carton.
This invention provides a carton construction including a small dispensing opening in the top wall closure of the carton through which articles can be removed one at a time from the interior of the carton by rotating a top closure panel which breaks a carton seal. Once the seal provided on the top closure panel of the carton is broken, the dispensing opening is resealed by simply reseating the top closure panel over the dispensing opening. Such a carton construction lends itself to mass production in that it is formed from a simple, substantially rectangular, unitary, paperboard blank.
The blank is provided with a front panel hingedly connected to a bottom panel, which in turn, is hingedly connected to a back panel. Each of the panels is formed of a substantially rectangular configuration. Side panels are connected along vertical score lines to the opposite edges of the front, bottom and back panels. An inverted substantially U-shaped panel is hingedly connected by a score line to the bottom or free edge of the back panel. The center or bight portion of the inverted U-shaped extension panel forms a dispensing opening for articles disposed within the carton when the carton blank is folded into a rectangular parallelopiped configuration. A tab is connected by a partially cut and perforated score line to the bight portion of the inverted U-shaped extension panel and fills the dispensing opening.
Connected to the top or free edge of the front panel is a substantially rectangular extension panel which is adapted to be folded back upon itself and forms a portion of the top closure for the carton. Long side flaps foldable about vertical score lines are connected to the extension panel.
When the blank is folded into a substantially rectangular parallelopiped carton configuration, the tab is adhesively connected to the extension panel and the side flaps are inserted within the interior of the folded carton. The side panels connected to the front and back panels are overlapped and adhesively joined. By rotating the rectangular extension panel, which has been folded back upon itself to form the top closure, the tab adhesively connected to it will separate along its cut and perforated line exposing the dispensing opening, enabling articles within the carton to be dispensed one at a time therethrough. THe side flaps will abut the back wall of the carton, limiting movement of the opened top closure and form with the top closure a bin for receiving the dispensed articles. The dispensing opening is simply resealed by reseating the top closure panel over the inverted U-shaped extension panel (forming the bottom seat of the closure). The side flaps serve to guide and hold the top closure panel in seated engagement on the U-shaped extension panel.